


i'll get closer to you

by doremifasorashige



Category: F. T. Island, Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cat/Human Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 08:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10636110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doremifasorashige/pseuds/doremifasorashige
Summary: Minhwan has gone down this road everyday for the better part of a year and not once has anything note worthy happened, so why does a cat decide to follow him home now?





	

**Author's Note:**

> All it took was one day of interactions in what I believe was 2013 idol sports events for me to ship them and now I shall forever have the rarest of rare pairs. 
> 
> Re-posting of a fic from my LJ, [here](http://monochromaticas.livejournal.com/6005.html), in 2014.

Minhwan has gone down this road everyday for the past eight months and not once has anything happened. It’s just a road, nothing to write home about. The sun is bright in his eyes in the mornings when he walks up it, passing by the length of shops that are just opening for the day along with the early morning joggers who like the back streets more than the park. In the evenings when he wanders his way back home, the street smells of food with the few places still open, with some people buzzing about, half of them drunk on soju. It’s not a very impressive road, and Minhwan is sure he could possibly find a better route to work, but he doesn’t, and he’s perfectly okay with how there is nothing special about it, how nothing exciting happens. It’s comforting.

There’s a soft rattle of something down the alleyway to his left when he walks home tonight night. It’s not an unusual occurrence, there’s always strange sounds at night, some startling Minhwan depending on how much sleep he’s been getting. Tonight, he writes it off as nothing and continues on, eager to get home where it’s warm, at least warmer than the mid winter weather outside, and make some ramyeon for dinner.

The sound comes again, a few alleyways ahead now, but Minhwan doesn’t care, he’s so close to his apartment that he can already feel the warmth seeping under his skin, into his bones and fighting off the winter chill. He nearly misses it when something tumbles out into the street before him, almost falling on the ground. It startles him, slightly, making him freeze mid step, staring at the solid figure of a man, perhaps, it’s too dark for him to tell from this distance.

He blinks slowly, trying to assess the situation, fight or flight instincts ready to kick in if it turns out to be a thug, aiming to take his money.

Minhwan shifts, sliding his foot behind him, preparing to book it if he has to, but then he sees the other shift as well, just a small twitch that brings attention to the top of his head and--

 _Oh_.

Minhwan has seen cats around, and strays aren’t that uncommon, not lately, but he’s never seen any on this street before, finding them much more common in the heart of the city where it’s easier for them to get scraps of food one way or another. He calms down considerably when he realizes that he won’t be attacked, not for money at least, which is good considering he doesn’t have any.

Slowly, carefully, Minhwan tries to make his way around the cat, not really sure how to approach or to avoid it since he’s never been this close to one before, not exactly. He never had pets as a child. The cat seems to follow his movements though, eyes completely locked onto him, not letting Minhwan out of his sight. It’s unnerving, making Minhwan feel exposed, on edge, but some how he manages to get past, and starts moving down the street towards home once more.

He doesn’t hear anything again, but Minhwan just can’t shake the feeling that he’s not alone now and when he stops to turn up the stairs to his apartment, he sees the cat has followed him, standing not two meters away. They stare at each other before Minhwan turns his head and darts up the cement steps to his apartment on the roof. The cat is mostly silent behind him, fast too and he’s right there as Minhwan fiddles with the lock on his door. It would get stuck now of all times, making him jiggle the handle until it gives and the door jerks open, nearly tumbling him inside.

The cat doesn’t follow, which Minhwan is grateful for, and he closes the door quickly, sliding to the floor against it.

His heart is hammering against his rib cage from the impromptu workout, making him take deep breaths, pulling air into his lungs. He needs to get off the floor, to flip the heater on but, Jesus, he still needs a moment to gather himself.

Minhwan is not afraid of cats, the small cuddly kind or the genetically altered human kind, he just doesn’t... Cats are foreign to him, and Minhwan is terribly shy so they make him uneasy. He knows he's being ridiculous, but he can't help it.

Eventually he pulls himself off the floor and flips the lock on the door before going to turn the heat on, letting it rumble to life in the corner of the room with it’s eerie orange glow before removing his coat and scarf, and dropping them on the end of his bed.

It’s still early enough where Minhwan can put off eating for a bit, instead sitting on the floor by the low table and turning the TV on, flipping through his limited channels. He stops on a movie, one that’s about half way through and he can’t remember the title of it for the life of him, but its distracts him well enough for the time being, causing him to forget all about the cat sitting outside his apartment until the credits begin to roll and his butt is stiff from sitting on the floor.

He stands then, cracking his back before shuffling over to the small kitchenette to put a pot of water on to boil. In the few idle minutes, Minhwan’s mind wanders back to the cat. Now he recalls the small details of him, the way his hair was pitch black in the limited light and just this side of shaggy. He appeared to be fully dressed, but his clothes were probably thin, too thin for this weather.

The thought has Minhwan worrying his bottom lip. It is cold out there, he has to admit, and while the cat probably feels temperatures differently than Minhwan does, he sure as hell can’t be immune to them.

Against his better judgement, Minhwan wanders over to his bed, picking up his long, thick scarf, rubbing the material between his fingers before shuffling to the door and flipping the lock to pull it open. The cat is sitting on the hard cement outside, back pressed against the brick wall of Minhwan’s home. His eyes are closed, mostly, open just a sliver as he keeps his head tilted back to the sky.

Minhwan hesitates, still thumbing at the fabric before he drops it on the cat’s head. “I’m not letting you inside,” he says carefully. “But...it’s cold so.”

The cat flails a bit, a startled jump really, and the scarf falls into his lap. A soft beige against his dirty pants. His eyes are wide and dark as he looks up at Minhwan who stands there just a second longer than he intended, still biting his lip.

“You should find some place to sleep,” he says before going back inside. His pot of water is boiling.

Now that he’s gotten a good look, the cat is all he can see once he closes his eyes. And even when he doesn’t Minhwan finds himself staring absently at his ramyeon, almost over cooking it before he turns the stove off and relocates to sit in front of the TV once more, where a news report drones on. He doesn’t pay any attention to it, not until the weather report comes up and he finds his gaze sliding over to the door more than once as the caster mentions how cold it’s going to get that night, telling people to stay indoors.

He feels guilty, almost. No one can certainly blame Minhwan for not wanting to let a stray into his home. His small, but clean home. But most people would do something, especially with how cold it’s due to get throughout the night.

Minhwan picks at his ramyeon in thought, only managing to eat half of it before his stomach turns unpleasantly.

“It would be a waste,” he mutters to himself, turning the noodles on his chopsticks. With a sigh he slips on his coat, putting the lid back on the pot. He’s being incredibly stupid, becoming far too concerned for a stray when he barely has the means to take care of himself.

He isn’t really surprised to find the cat still sitting there, now with the scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, the tails of it hanging over his chest. This time his eyes are closed, but his ears perk up the moment Minhwan steps outside, tail moving lazily. Just a small flop here and there. He doesn’t move otherwise and neither does Minhwan.

Finally, heaving out a sigh, he sets the pot down on the ground and closes the door. “Eat,” he says, moving the pot before the cat. “I bet you’re hungry.”

The cat’s eyes open lazily, but calculating. Watching him for anything suspicious.

“Go on.” Minhwan nudges him before his brain can tell him better of it, but it seems to be all the cat needs as encouragement, before he moves to dig into the left over ramyeon. He seems to be humming with happiness then, making Minhwan smile against his better judgement, as well as sitting next to him, watching the sky and the line of buildings. It’s cloudy out, and he wonders if the weather said anything about snow. “I can’t let you inside, you realize this right?”

He doesn’t really expect an answer, not with how the cat is slurping away at the noodles, but he gets one anyway. “Why?” His voice isn’t what Minhwan was expecting, soft and warm, but also distant, cautious.

Why, Minhwan wonders. “Because...”

There’s a small snort from the cat. “I’m a stray, don’t spare my feelings.” He sounds cold all of a sudden and it makes Minhwan frown, suddenly annoyed.

“Exactly, you’re a stray and you’re dirty and. I can’t take you in.” But while before Minhwan didn’t want to take him in because he just didn’t care, wasn’t interested, now he’s afraid that with just one night of the cat here, inside his apartment, he’ll grow attached and never want to let him go.

“But you can feed me?” He makes his slurp of noodles extra loud this time.

Minhwan shrugs. “I couldn’t finish it.” Which is true. “I’m not cruel.”

The cat doesn’t say anything, just pokes at the little pieces of noodle left floating in the broth before picking the pot up to drink it all. He lets out a satisfied noises, almost akin to purring when he puts it back down. “No," the cat agrees, "you’re not cruel at all,” he says, placing the lid back on the pot, and holding it out to Minhwan. “Thank you.” His voice dips softly once again and it makes Minhwan feel terrible because he really, really can’t take him inside. At least not until he’s had a bath because who knows when the last time that was.

He takes the pot back carefully, fingers brushing against the cat’s. They’re so cold, like ice cubes, against his own.

He waits a bit before going back inside, holding onto the pot tightly, staring at the city line. Somewhere between one breath and the next the question of, “Do you have a name?” makes it through his filter, escaping through his mouth.

The cat doesn’t find it weird though, tail still flicking lazily every now and again. “Myungsoo,” he answers eventually.

Minhwan nods, then slowly gets up, holding the pot in one hand as he opens the door. Myungsoo doesn’t look away from where his gaze has turned back to the cloudy sky but the corner of his mouth does twitch slightly when Minhwan mumbles an attempt at goodnight.

The pot is washed and the dishes are put away. He’s washed up in the small bathroom, and is currently in bed. The TV is off and the heater is humming softly in the corner. Most nights Minhwan finds it soothing but the sound is deafening tonight, keeping him awake more than he was keeping himself up with thoughts and questions about Myungsoo the cat.

It would be his luck that a cat would follow him home <i>now</i> of all times, when money is next to nothing and it’s the dead of winter. It would be his luck that the cat would be beautiful and hard to look away from.

Look at him, he’s already attached after one conversation.

Minhwan spends nearly an hour rolling around before he gives up and pulls the extra blanket off his bed, dropping it onto the floor. He’s going to hate himself for it tomorrow, but he’d hate himself even more if he didn’t let Myungsoo inside, or at least checked on him. Maybe, just maybe, he won’t be there, he’ll have slipped away at some point when realizing that Minhwan was serious about not letting him inside. Minhwan can deal without a scarf for a while if that’s the case.

He goes over to the door and opens it to find that that is more certainly not the case.

Myungsoo’s eyes are open wide and alert when he looks up at Minhwan. There’s a slight tremor to his body that he looks to be fighting to hide and it makes Minhwan feel so much worse because really, he could’ve just let the cat in hours ago.

He licks his lips before opening his mouth, not sure of how to say “You can come in” but for some reason or another, Myungsoo seems to understand and rises to his feet. He’s just a bit taller than Minhwan is now that they’re standing right next to each other, and his hair is as dark as night, with eyes to match.

“Sit in front of the heater,” he says as he closes the door and locks up (again) for the night.

As Myungsoo does so, Minhwan gets a warm, damp rag then goes over to him and tells him to wipe off his face and hands. “Maybe your feet too,” he muses once he gets a look at the bottom of Myungsoo’s soles. They’re not terribly dirty, but it’s enough to have Minhwan questioning on how well Myungsoo’s shoes are holding up. The thought has him pursing his lips.

The rag is filthy when he’s done, but Minhwan didn’t really expect any less and tosses it in a pile of his own dirty clothes. “There’s a blanket for you,” he motions by the foot of his bed on the floor. “For when you want to sleep.” It’s rude, but Minhwan can’t stay up all night so he flicks the light off after a moment’s hesitation and crawls into bed. It’s not as warm as it normally is, but that’s okay, because now Minhwan can feel his body relaxing as sleep takes over. He hears Myungsoo’s soft purrs before he drops off completely.

In the morning Minhwan wakes to his own shivering. The heater must’ve kicked off during the night at some point like it usually does. It’s not normally a problem, but normally, Minhwan has another layer of blankets on him.

He grumbles groggily, trying to roll onto his back and stretch his legs out, but there’s a massive lump of something at the foot of his bed preventing him from doing so. Minhwan whines just a bit in the back of his throat, curling up into a tighter ball before he peeks an eye open to see something curled up on his bed.

Minhwan squints at the brightness in the room and sits up, trying to figure out just what in God’s name it is. It’s warm when he presses a hand to it, and is breathing softly. He knows it’s Myungsoo before he can even look around the room to confirm it. The flick of the tail gave it away.

He sighs, running a hand through his bed hair. Minhwan could kick Myungsoo off his bed but he can’t be bothered. “What am I going to do with you,” he asks the room because this could easily turn into a problem that Minhwan won’t be able to fix, but as Myungsoo stretches out, foot thumping onto the floor and startling him out of his sleep, Minhwan doesn’t think he’ll mind too much.

Myungsoo makes this soft keening sound as he slowly wakes up, stretching out his limbs and nearly hitting Minhwan in the face. He curls back up once he’s done, wrapping the blanket around him, but his eyes are trained on Minhwan now. “So.”

“So,” he parrots back, and Myungsoo rolls his eyes. “I have work, but we need to get you into a bath.”

Myungsoo hums in disinterest. “You only bathe pets if you want to keep them,” he says airily but then frowns after the words leave his mouth. “I’m not a pet though.”

“No, of course not.” Minhwan can’t help but smile at that. “You still need a bath.”

“Maybe.”

Minhwan slips out of bed, trying to not shiver when his feet hit the floor. “My clothes might not fit you,” he says as he digs around his dresser for something. “They sure as hell won’t have a hole for your tail.” He looks back as he says it and watches the tail in question flick in the air.

“I can just keep these on,” Myungsoo says.

Minhwan gets a good look at his pants then and frowns. He’s going to have to wash the blanket too. “Not until they’re clean.”

Myungsoo snorts and stretches out on Minhwan’s bed, blanket still wrapped around him. “So nit picky.” Minhwan doesn’t bother to deny it.

In the end he only finds an old pair of jeans that run a little short and t-shirt for Myungsoo, but it’s better than nothing. And temporary. Just until he has a bath, and then Minhwan will...

Will what?

He scowls as he dresses himself for work. Minhwan cannot and will not keep him, he doesn’t have the means for it. “Come on,” he says once he’s ready for work. He pushes the scarf into Myungsoo’s hands and puts the clean clothes in a bag. Maybe his landlord will let him steal her shower for Myungsoo. And her washer.

After bathing and changing into clean clothes, (Old Mrs. Lee had some better fitting pants from when he son will lived at home for Myungsoo, cutting a hole into the back for his tail and a sweater as well, long and thick) Myungsoo follows Minhwan once again. Tagging along behind as he heads to work at the arcade. “Try not to end up dirty again,” Minhwan says before he heads inside. It isn’t until an hour into his shift that he realizes he didn’t tell Myungsoo when he’d be done. Guilt nags at the back of his mind for the next couple of hours, but then he brushes it off.

Myungsoo is not his pet nor his responsibility. He knows where Minhwan lives, and if he does desire to come back to find him, well, he knows where to look. It’s not like Minhwan goes anywhere else but to work and his apartment.

There’s no one waiting for him outside when he gets off from his shift. He doesn’t let it bother him, because it shouldn’t bother him. Minhwan stuffs his hands into his pockets and heads for home, stopping by Mrs. Lee’s to get Myungsoo’s now clean clothes. She tells him to bring that cat of his by again, because she’s always had this soft spot for cats. Minhwan wants to ask her if she wouldn’t mind actually taking him since he has no home, but he couldn’t do that. She doesn’t exactly have the means to take care of him either.

Myungsoo isn’t waiting outside when Minhwan makes his way up either so he goes inside alone as usual, but now that he’s let Myungsoo inside it feels weird it to just be him. It’s stupid though, Minhwan has lived on his own for almost a year now and not once has he felt lonely. It was as if Myungsoo filled up the non-existent empty spaces.

Shedding his coat and dropping the bag of Myungsoo’s clothes by the door, Minhwan searches his fridge for something other than ramyeon, but he finds he isn’t very hungry so he sits in front of the TV instead, watching it without actually watching it until he dozes off at some point.

He wakes to knocking, almost like scratching, at his door an hour or so later. He blinks slowly at Myungsoo when he opens it, before shuffling back over to his bed and flopping down face first. He hears the faint click of the door shutting before the end of the bed shifts with weight.

“You didn’t even look for me,” Myungsoo says. It sounds teasing, with a bit of mock pout, but Minhwan can’t be sure unless he rolls over to look at him.

“I thought you weren’t a pet,” he mumbles. And even if he was, he isn’t Minhwan’s pet.

“You’re right,” Myungsoo replies. “I’m not. You should still look, you have my clothes after all, and I have your scarf.” Minhwan feels the scarf slap him on his back then.

Eventually he rolls over and sits up next to Myungsoo, both of them staring in the general direction of the TV. “What did you do all day?”

Myungsoo shrugs. “Try to get free food, look for change on the ground.”

Minhwan bites his bottom lip. "Is that what you always do?"

"Sometimes, depends. I stick close around here usually so I can't do it everyday, they might call one of the shelters on me." Myungsoo is reaching into his pocket then, pulling a decent amount of small coins out. "Not bothering anyone isn't necessarily enough. Some shop owners don't like stray cats wandering around. Bad for business or something." He takes Minhwan's hand and drops the coins in it, smiling at their small jingle.

The weight of the coins in his palm isn't much, but it's something and Minhwan adds it to the jar of coins on the table. "Why don't you go to a shelter anyway?" He risks a look at Myungsoo and immediately regrets it.

“Why should I take the place of some cat who can’t possibly handle themselves on the street when I can?” He glares at nothing really, but the look is still enough to make Minhwan uncomfortable.

“Maybe someone would adopt you?”

That startles a laugh out of Myungsoo and his eyes crinkle up into crescents, nearly disappearing into his face. “Unlikely, but your optimism is cute.”

He doesn’t really understand how it’s unlikely, Myungsoo isn’t a bad looking cat once he’s clean, and so far Minhwan hasn’t seen why anyone would not want him. If he could, he would adopt Myungsoo, he doesn’t say this though just gets up with a sigh and pulls on the scarf still draped around Myungsoo’s neck. “Hungry?”

“Ramyeon again?” He jumps up to follow after Minhwan, but thankfully leaves the scarf behind. Myungsoo sneaks a peek inside the nearly empty refrigerator when Minhwan doesn’t answer. “Is all you have ever is ramyeon?”

Minhwan raises an eyebrow and fills the pot with water. “Are you complaining?” He wouldn’t deny Myungsoo food, not since he’s the one that invited the cat in, but Myungsoo doesn’t need to know that just yet. “You can go scavenge for food again.”

Myungsoo’s eyes are narrowed and sharp when he closes the refrigerator, leaning his hip against it. There’s a small smirk on his lips, one that looks like Myungsoo is capable of serious damage if he so desires. “You wouldn’t.”

“Who knows.” He looks away from Myungsoo to watch the pot, waiting to drop the noodles in.

There’s a soft humming sound from Myungsoo then, closer than it was before and it’s the only warning Minhwan gets before there’s a chin propped on his shoulder and every inch of his personal space invaded. “No, you wouldn’t deny me food. Not now at least.” He can feel the soft flick of Myungsoo’s tail by their legs.

“Oh?” He turns the heat down on the stove once he sets the noodles in the water, waiting a few minutes before stirring them around. “And why is that?”

Myungsoo digs his chin into Minhwan’s shoulder as he thinks. “You like having me around, I think.” He presses his face into Minhwan’s neck just a bit, his warm breath fanning out over the exposed skin and making Minhwan shiver. He tries to shy away from Myungsoo’s touch, not sure what to make of it. “Even though you fringe indifference.” Just like that Myungsoo pulls away, slips back until there’s a large distance between them and heads back to Minhwan’s bed to sit down.

It’s not indifference, far from it really. Mostly it’s Minhwan trying to not let himself become attached, to want Myungsoo to stay around. He shouldn’t even be doing this much.

Minhwan suspects that while Myungsoo would be disappointed when Minhwan finally can’t keep him around, can’t offer to feed him anymore, he will easily get over it. Probably used to being turned away eventually from living on the streets. Minhwan on the other hand would most likely be heartbroken over it.

He doesn’t respond though. Just flips the stove off once the ramyeon is done cooking and grabs two sets of chopsticks before moving to the small table with the pot. “Stop rationalizing and eat,” Minhwan says, hitting his knuckles with the chopsticks. They don’t speak much after that, just comments on whatever it is playing on the TV. Myungsoo doesn’t offer to clean up after they finish eating, but Minhwan isn’t really surprised by that and does it himself before getting ready for bed.

Myungsoo is curled up with the extra blanket when he returns, already at the foot of his bed, playing with the end of his tail. Minhwan should point out that he was never invited to sleep on the bed, but already knows it’s a useless conversation. He turns up the heat instead, making the room warmer than it needs to be for when it most likely shuts off later. Hopefully it’ll be just chilly in the morning and not frigid when he wakes.

“You didn’t confirm or deny my assumption,” Myungsoo says after Minhwan settles into bed on his side, cover nearly pulled over his head.

“There’s nothing to say,” he replies. “Go to sleep.”

Myungsoo huffs, and Minhwan is almost positive he rolled his eyes as well.

In the morning, Minhwan wakes to a heavy weight on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe as well as trapping all of his body heat under the blanket. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s Myungsoo, who else would it be? He tries to wiggle from under the oppressive weight, but gets no where. Myungsoo is probably trying his hardest to be completely dead weight, if he’s awake, which is most likely the case since Minhwan has the prickly feeling of being watched, just like that first night with Myungsoo.

“You’re heavy,” he grits out.

Myungsoo’s head lifts then, a small weight adjustment on Minhwan’s torso, but not enough to where he can wiggle out of. “I think you’re just tiny.”

He forces his eyes open against the brightness of the room, sunlight flowing in from the curtainless windows. “You’re still heavy. Get off.”

Myungsoo sighs dramatically but then Minhwan can breathe, the pressure on his chest and stomach gone. He focuses his attention on Myungsoo, who is now sitting on his thighs, looking like the poster child for innocence with his head cocked to the side and his tail swishing lazily in the air. Minhwan is not deceived.

“Is this some master plan to get in my bed?” He closes his eyes again, throwing an arm over them to block out the light.

“No.” There’s some shifting on Myungsoo’s part and then suddenly the weight on his legs is gone, but then there’s an endless amount of heat being pressed against the side of Minhwan’s body, making his lift his arm. Myungsoo is laid out next to him, head flat on the bed and hands folded on his stomach. “I could easily get in your bed if I wanted.”

He raises a brow in question. “If you wanted? Does that mean you don’t want to?” Minhwan doesn’t know why he’s acting this, the conversation is treading a thin line. He knows that most people with cats like Myungsoo are in some type of relationship with them, and just like normal cats they go into heat. He wonders when Myungsoo is due to cycle but then pushes the thought away immediately. This conversation is weird enough.

Myungsoo rolls onto his side, pillowing his head with an arm. He smirks. “I could, like I said, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I just respect your virtue.” He hops out of bed then and heads off to Minhwan’s fridge, pulling it open. Behind him his tail flicks in the air playfully.

“My virtue?” He sits up to stare at Myungsoo’s back in disbelief.

Myungsoo turns around, holding a carton of milk with a sour look on his face. “You need more milk,” he says. “Also, don’t you have work?”

Minhwan looks at the clock by the TV before cursing. This is all Myungsoo’s fault, and he says so as he stumbles around to get dressed.

During his break later, Minhwan thinks back to their conversation, twirling a pen between his fingers. Respecting his virtue? What does that even mean? There are a million things Myungsoo can be implying with that, especially with that smirk of his and the way his tail flicks just so when he thinks he’s being particularly clever. Minhwan isn’t sure how he’s already noticing these things, after all of two days, but it’s a cause of worry.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Seunghyun says when they both leave together that evening. “What happened to your scarf?”

Minhwan looks down, remembering that it’s still missing because Myungsoo is probably wandering around somewhere with it wrapped around his neck. He goes to answer, to say he lost it but then he feels the chin digging into his shoulder just like it did last night. “I thought I was going to die of boredom if I had to wait much longer,” Myungsoo says entirely too close to his ear, making him shiver.

Seunghyun looks amused and startled, mouth curled at the corner in an almost smile, but there’s a million questions in his eyes since he knows for a fact Minhwan can barely cover his expenses. “When did you get a cat?”

“I didn’t,” Minhwan says. “He just follows me around.” He shrugs Myungsoo off with a slight frown, but Myungsoo doesn’t seem bothered by it. He’s staring at Seunghyun, eyes just a bit guarded, closed off and cold. His tail is perfectly still behind him, hanging low between his legs. Minhwan doesn’t really know what this means but he’s not going to ask for now.

“Cute,” Seunghyun says. He buttons up his own coat before leveling Minhwan with this knowing grin. “So you gave him your scarf in hope he’ll come back? I didn’t know you wanted a pet so bad.”

Minhwan frowns. “No, I didn’t. It’s cold Seunghyun, why wouldn’t I give him my scarf?”

Seunghyun shrugs, but it’s in this way that says he knows more than Minhwan does. “I don’t know, Minhwan, you tell me.” He starts up the hill, walking in the opposite direction of where Minhwan and Myungsoo need to go. “See you next week,” he waves, taking one last look at the two of them before shaking his head.

Myungsoo doesn’t say anything until Seunghyun is far enough away, but his posture doesn’t relax in the least. “He’s suspicious of me? Of you?” He tilts his head a bit before looking at Minhwan. “Why is it so strange for you to have a cat? Not that I’m your pet, or a pet at all.”

“I’ve never had a pet, and I don’t exactly have money to take care of you.” Minhwan shrugs, trying to warm his hands up before sticking them in his coat pockets. “Seunghyun looks into things too much, probably thinks I’m lonely or something. Come on, I need to buy food before it gets any colder.”

Myungsoo trails after him, making his steps loud against the pavement, letting Minhwan know he’s still there, following him around. “You don’t have to take care of me,” he says eventually while Minhwan is searching for the lowest prices on things that will last the longest. “I’m not invalid.”

He grabs the large carton of milk, just for Myungsoo even though he doesn’t have the money for the bigger one. “No, but you’re around. It would be... I’m not going to act like you’re not there.” Minhwan looks up at catch Myungsoo’s eye, not entirely sure what he’s suppose to say to make the cat feel better. The fact of the matter is Myungsoo is an unplanned expense, regardless if Myungsoo is his pet or not. He’s still feeding him, and somewhere along the way he’ll need to buy a new scarf, and maybe scrounge up something else for Myungsoo to wear. He should put a stop to this now, but he won’t. As long as Myungsoo keeps coming around then Minhwan will offer him something. “Do you want a snack?”

Myungsoo stops for a second but shakes his head. “No, I’m okay.”

He accepts this and heads to check out, already knowing that he’s paying more than usual on food. He hopes it won’t set him back too much.

Later when he’s making dinner (not ramyeon again, thanks to Myungsoo’s whining) he mentions Mrs. Lee, his landlord. “You should visit her or something, I think she’d like the company.” He knows that she would, because every time he goes to pay his rent she keeps him there for at least an hour, talking about anything and everything. Her family never visits anymore, and while Minhwan isn’t usually one to talk to just anyone, Mrs. Lee is sweet and harmless. That and she lets him pay less for rent than she should.

Myungsoo’s pulling on a loose thread on Minhwan’s pants. He’s felt it there for the past twenty minutes, tickling him every now and again. Myungsoo isn’t making it any better. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

The question startles a laugh out of him. “Even if I wanted to she’s not the best candidate. I think she’s too old for you.”

“Maybe,” he hums then yanks on the thread hard enough where it snaps off. Myungsoo wraps it around his finger. “What do I do, just sit with her?”

“Sure, or help her out if she needs it. Humor her.” He looks pointedly in Myungsoo’s direction. “Or do you like wandering around in the cold all day?”

He shrugs. “I could careless.”

Minhwan fills two plates with food and hands one to Myungsoo, still sitting on the floor of the kitchenette, playing with the thread. “Just a suggestion.” He goes to sit on his bed.

Myungsoo doesn't say anything more while they eat, so Minhwan doesn't either. He's not entirely sure when he's saying the right thing or not to him, Myungsoo is very mysterious all around, soft and approachable one second, closed the next. He wants to ask if Myungsoo intends to stay, or if this is just temporary for him, more so than it is for Minhwan. He doesn't ask, but still, perhaps it would be best if he prepared himself for when Myungsoo does decide to more on. Who knows, that could be next week or next month.

Secretly, Minhwan hopes it's never, but that is the deepest part of him that is already more than attached to Myungsoo.

When Minhwan lies on his bed later, settling on top of the covers but still with the lights off he watches as Myungsoo sits perfectly still at the end of his bed through the limited light streaming from the windows. He stares at something far off, something Minhwan could never possibly hope to see. "Do you have work tomorrow?" He asks eventually, though that was not the question Minhwan was expecting.

"No, but I have laundry to do." He waves his hand in the general direction of his dirty clothes in the hamper. "That blanket of yours needs to be washed to." It slips out without his knowing, but somewhere in his mind Minhwan has been calling it Myungsoo's blanket since the second he pulled it off his bed. If Myungsoo notices the addition of ownership, he doesn't comment, but he does look at Minhwan now, eyes bright in the dark room, almost glowing. "You could probably use another bath yourself."

Myungsoo huffs, typical. "I just bathed. I can go a bit longer."

Probably, Minhwan thinks. He certainly has gone longer that two days without one, that doesn't mean he should. "I think you should bathe."

He can see Myungsoo's eyes narrow, but there's spark of amusement there and Minhwan finds himself smiling as well, even when Myungsoo flops himself right on top of Minhwan, saying "Who cares what you think?"

"I don't have to feed you, you know," he says. "I can keep all of it to myself."

Myungsoo smirks, dipping his head just a slightest bit closer, and Minhwan can feel his breath fan over his face, warm and minty from Minhwan's toothpaste. "I'll get my own food."

"Oh?" Minhwan realizes a second too late that he's lifting a hand to push Myungsoo's hair away from his face, raking his nails through it and scratching lightly at his scalp. "And how is that?"

With his eyes slipping closed, Myungsoo lets out a soft purr, rumbling low in his chest that's pressed against Minhwan's own. "It's a secret."

He laughs, and it's louder than he expected it to be, but he can see Myungsoo's own smile in return. "Because that was working out so well for you before."

Myungsoo hums, purring subsiding as Minhwan pulls his hand away, letting it settle low on Myungsoo's back. His face is still mere inches from Minhwan's, breathing slow and deep. He keeps his chin propped up on his hands on Minhwan's chest, eyes large in the darkness. He smirks after a few minutes and mutters softly, "I told you I could get in your bed if I wanted."

It takes a few seconds for Minhwan to catch on and he nearly shoves Myungsoo off of him, shaking his head. "Technically you're not in my bed."

"You're not in it either, so it counts." He doesn't move to let Minhwan in it either, just kicks the other blanket up with his foot and covers them both with it. "Now I'm in your bed."

He goes back to scratching lazily at Myungsoo's head, closing his eyes and nodding in agreement. "You should let me sleep if you want to stay in my bed though," he's drifting off already, Myungsoo's warmth and soft sounds lulling him to sleep. It's nicer than he would have thought.

Myungsoo is still there when he wakes up, though he's only half laying on Minhwan, leaving his trapped under an arm and a leg. At least he can breathe this time, he thinks, rolling onto his side. Myungsoo is still asleep, but his face looks just as pefect, smooth lines with that complete air of mysteriousness. Minhwan runs a hand through Myungsoo's hair, scratching lightly by his ears and he scoots closer to Minhwan in his sleep, letting out this deep purring noise.

Despite himself, Minhwan smiles, enjoying how soothing the sound is. He lets his eyes slip closed once more, slowly drifting back off to sleep, hand falling still on Myungsoo's head, slipping down to rest just behind it. Myungsoo makes a small noise of protest, tipping his head back so his hair is tickling Minhwan's hand. "Who said you could stop?" He asks sleepily, voice thick.

"You were pretending to be asleep," Minhwan snorts.

"No, you stopped so I woke up."

Minhwan opens his eyes again and finds Myungsoo staring back at him, eyes just barely open, completely black. He feels like he's staring into an endless abyss and could be lost forever, but he feels that has more to do with Myungsoo himself and now how deep his eyes seem. "You're purring is relaxing." He shifts a bit, repositioning his hand to scratch lightly at the back of Myungsoo's head.

His ears twitch as he tries to dip back, attempting to get Minhwan's fingers closer to where he wants them. "Keep going and I'll purr more."

Minhwan sighs mockingly, rolling his eyes just a bit. "You plan to sleep all day don't you?"

Even when he's half asleep and seeking attention, Myungsoo's smirk is the same, sharp and implying so many things. "If I can help it."

"Laundry, Myungsoo," but even as Minhwan says it, he scratches behind Myungsoo's ears a little harder, watching as he sinks deeper into the bed. He's indulging when he shouldn't, it'll be worse for the both of them later on, though Myungsoo is more likely to cope with the loss.

"Will still be there in a couple hours." He rolls himself onto Minhwan suddenly, making him lay flat on his back, eyes wide as he looks up at Myungsoo, smirking still like he knows something Minhwan doesn't. "I wonder what I could do," he trails off, and Minhwan suddenly feels like he's being eyed as if he were a piece of meat. "What would make you forget being productive?"

He laughs, though it's more like a huff. "Nothing."

Myungsoo hums. "No there's something." His breath is warm on Minhwan's face, making him painfully aware of how close they are, pressed together completely on his bed, Myungsoo's warm solid weight above him. "What would you do if I kissed you," Myungsoo asks, dipping his head lower until Minhwan can count his lashes. He presses their lips together before Minhwan can answer, gentle and soft, but it feels like more and for the smallest second Minhwan feels himself relaxing into it.

His mind goes into overdrive the second Myungsoo pulls away. That should _not_  have happened, not now, not ever. Myungsoo may not be a pet, but he's still a cat and Minhwan can't keep him, can't become anymore attached then he already is. "Why--"

"For science?" Myungsoo tilts his head, ears perked up on the top of his head, eyes bright with something that Minhwan can't name. He laughs shaking his head before dipping down once more, but instead he presses his face right into Minhwan's neck, taking a deep breath. "You're thinking about it too much."

Minhwan licks his lips, can still feel Myungsoo's on his own. "About what?"

" _Everything_." The word is hot on Minhwan's skin, making him want to squirm away. Myungsoo must realize this because his fingers curl into the fabric of Minhwan's shirt, grip tight. "Just let it happen."

"Let what happen?"

Myungsoo shrugs. "Whatever this is, me sticking around, the unknown. Life."

Maybe Myungsoo isn't as unphased as Minhwan thought, just as attached as Minhwan is. "But I can't take care of you. You're a stray, there are so many things, differences about living in a house than on the street. You could get sick and then what? I can't do anything about it. I can't buy you clothes either, Myungsoo." He doesn't know when but his own hands ended up on Myungsoo's back, holding him close.

"So? Worry about it when we get there." He sounds small now, afraid almost. "Maybe you'll get lucky."

What is luck really, he wants to ask. How could luck make any of this easier, the constant worry he'd feel every day if he were to keep Myungsoo around willingly. "Does that happen twice?"

Myungsoo snorts then bites at Minhwan's neck gently before he pulls back, sitting up on Minhwan's thighs. "I don't think finding a stray is luck."

"But you followed me home," Minhwan points out. "And you sat out there until I let you in."

He looks down sheepishly, biting his lip before speaking. "I was just hanging around until morning. It's safer to sleep somewhere high up than in the alley." He smirks when he meets eyes with Minhwan again. "If anything I got lucky. Your scarf, the food. I was _not_ expecting this."

Minhwan scowls just a bit, but he reaches out to run a hand through Myungsoo's hair again, scratching his scalp just a bit harder like how he seems to like it. "And what is this?"

He leans into Minhwan's touch, practically nuzzling his hand as his eyes close slowly and his tail shifts somewhere under the covers, tickling the bare part of Minhwan's calf where his pants shifted up. "Whatever you want it to be."

His next thought has him laughing at himself, a soft chuckle that gets Myungsoo's attention and he opens one eye at Minhwan questioningly. He shakes his head but asks, "Can I keep you?"

"You keep pets," Myungsoo reminds him. "I'm not a pet."

"Can you stay?" Minhwan corrects himself. He tries not to sound hopeful, tries to prepare himself for Myungsoo to say no, that he's planning on leaving today maybe, or sometime soon, that he shouldn't have stayed this long.

Myungsoo doesn't say any of that. He grabs Minhwan's wrist, holding it still in his hair. His eyes are nothing but black again when he opens them, the difference between iris and pupil not to be seen. "Until you want me to leave, sure." He sounds cautious once more, as if he isn't entirely sure that Minhwan wants him around which is completely stupid since Minhwan can't think of ever telling him to leave, not even when he doesn't have money to buy food and pay rent.

He wants to say this, but doesn't know how, the words get stuck somewhere in his throat, threatening to choke him. Instead he just pulls Myungsoo back down gently and rolls onto his side. "You said you wanted to sleep longer?" His voice feels strained and thick, making him clear his throat. "I can be convinced into a couple more hours." Probably not, Minhwan feels that most of this time will be spent watching Myungsoo sleep, listening to his soft purrs. He's wide awake now, body humming with whatever this is, excited and scared all at once.

Myungsoo just smiles lazily, proud because he's won. Minhwan will have to watch out for that, positive that Myungso will find ways to get Minhwan to do whatever he wants in the future. "I knew you'd see it my way," he says and slides his leg between Minhwan's, already closing his eyes to go back to sleep. He nuzzles his way back into Minhwan's neck soon after, taking long, deep breaths as he relaxes. Minhwan can feel his fingers running up and down his back in a soothing gesture, as well as his tail, that rarely ever seems to stay still, flipping back and forth over Minhwan's hip.

He doesn't really know any better, but Minhwan is almost certain that Myungsoo is marking his claim, intending to keep Minhwan around for as long as he can, and it's less scary than Minhwan would have ever thought.


End file.
